Status condition

Freeze redirects here. For the glitch, see game freeze.

Status ailments affect a Pokémon's ability to battle. There are three kinds of status. The first are non-volatile, the second are volatile, and the third lasts while a Pokémon is in battle.

Non-volatile status

Non-volatile status ailments are status ailments that will remain until a Pokémon is healed at a Pokémon Center, a specific curative item is used, or, in case of Freeze and Sleep, after a certain amount of turns during the battle. A Pokémon inflicted with a non-volatile status will still be affected after being pulled out of battle (unless they have the Natural Cure ability), and after a battle is over. It is only possible for a Pokémon to be afflicted by one of these at a time. In Generation III and beyond, certain abilities will cause or prevent them, as well as benefit from them.

Burn

The burn condition reduces a Pokémon's Attack power by half (except for Pokémon with the Guts ability, where this condition raises Attack by 50%). Additionally, at the end of a turn, the Pokémon loses 1/8 its maximum hit points (in Generation I [or in the case of Pokémon with the ability Heatproof], the Pokémon loses 1/16 of its maximum hit points). Template:Type2 Pokémon and Pokémon with the Water Veil ability cannot be burned. All moves which can cause burn are Fire-type except for Tri Attack (Generation II onwards) and Fling when the Flame Orb is held.

Freeze

A frozen Jigglypuff

The freeze condition causes a Pokémon to be unable to make a move. Damaging Template:Type2 moves used on a frozen Pokémon will remove the freeze status. As of Generation II, freeze has a random, ~10% chance to be cured on its own on the frozen Pokémon's turn. Consequently, the frozen Pokémon may thaw out on the turn of freezing; however, in Generation I, a frozen Pokémon never thaws without external aid. Pokémon cannot be frozen in sunny weather; contrary to popular belief, sunny weather does not cause a quicker thawing.

Template:Type2 Pokémon cannot be frozen by Ice-type moves; however, they can be frozen by Tri Attack. A frozen Pokémon can still use the moves Flame Wheel, Sacred Fire and Flare Blitz; when used while frozen, these moves will thaw the user, thaw the opponent if possible, and deal damage to the opponent. All moves which cause freezing are Ice-type except Tri Attack (Generation II onwards) and Secret Power (when used in snow or ice; Generation IV only). It is also the only non-volatile status which has no move that causes it 100% of the time. The only move to provide more than a 10% chance of freezing is Secret Power when used on snow or ice, which provides a 30% chance.

A frozen Sky Forme Shaymin will revert to its Land Forme.

Paralysis

A Pokémon inflicted with paralysis will be unable to attack ("fully paralyzed") a quarter of the time. Additionally, its Speed is reduced to 25% of its previous value (except for Pokémon with the Quick Feet ability, where this condition raises the Speed by 50%). Many moves that cause paralysis are of the Electric type.

Poison

A poisoned Pokémon loses 1/8 of its maximum hit points every turn (in Generation I, it loses 1/16). Template:Type2 Pokémon cannot be poisoned. Template:Type2 Pokémon cannot be poisoned in Generation III and beyond; in Generation II, a Steel type Pokémon cannot be poisoned, unless Twineedle afflicts it.

A poisoned Pokémon also loses 1 hit point for every four steps taken while not in battle. In Generation IV, a Pokémon whose HP is reduced to 1 via poison outside of battle will have the poison status removed. All moves that can poison are of the Poison-type except Twineedle, Secret Power, and Fling (which poisons only if Poison Barb is held).

Bad poison

The status ailment caused by Toxic and Poison Fang, as well as by Toxic Spikes after it is used twice, is the same as Poison except its damage begins at 1/16 and grows an additional 1/16 every turn, taking 2/16 max hit points the second turn, then 3/16 the third turn, and 4/16 the fourth, and so on. In Generation I and Generation II, switching a Pokémon out of active battle would change the badly poisoned condition to normal poison. In Generation III and beyond, the "badly poisoned" effect will remain even after switching a Pokémon out of battle and back in, but the damage counter will be reset. After a battle is over, the "badly poisoned" status will become a normal poison. All moves which can badly poison are of the Poison-type except Fling (which badly poisons only if Toxic Orb is held).

Sleep

Ambipom sleeping

A Pokémon that is asleep is unable to use any moves (in a situation almost identical to the Freeze condition), except for two special moves which may be used while asleep (Snore and Sleep Talk). Sleep lasts for a randomly chosen duration of 1 to 5 turns (1 to 3 in Stadium). Sleep may be self-induced for 3 turns (inclusive of the initial turn) using the move Rest, which will remove any other non-volatile status ailment. A disobedient Pokémon may nap during battle, inducing the Sleep status. There are currently no moves that cause sleep and damage together, though Secret Power is capable of doing so if it is used in long grass. In Generation I, a Pokémon that wakes up is not able to attack that same turn, but since Generation II, it is able to attack as soon as the sleep wears off.

Volatile status

A volatile status will wear off when a Pokémon is taken out of battle or a battle is over. Many of these will also wear off after a number of turns pass. All of these conditions may be passed to another Pokémon by using Baton Pass unless stated otherwise.

Confusion

A Pokémon will hurt itself in its confusion 50% of the time. The damage is done as if the Pokémon attacked itself with a 40-power typeless physical attack.

Confusion wears off after 1-4 attacking turns. This means that turns recharging, such as after using Hyper Beam, and turns unable to attack, such as from paralysis, will not lower the remaining number of turns of confusion. However, a sleeping Pokémon may hurt itself in confusion if using a move such as Snore or Sleep Talk.

Multi-turn attacks such as Fly and Dive require that confusion be checked both turns, further reducing the chance of successful attack. Pokémon with the Own Tempo ability are also immune to moves that cause confusion.

Confusion is transferred by Baton Pass.

A Ninja Boy on Route 211 erroneously states that confusion only wears off if the Pokémon is switched out.

Curse

If a Template:Type2 Pokémon uses Curse, the Pokémon it is used on loses ¼ its maximum hit points every turn, and the user immediately loses half of their maximum hit points in exchange. If any non-Ghost type Pokémon uses Curse, their Attack and Defense go up one stage, and their Speed drops one stage. If the victim of a Ghost-type Curse uses Baton Pass, the health-sapping effect is transferred to its replacement. If a Pokémon that has been afflicted by curse is switched out of battle, the effect is lifted. Also, in Generation II, defeating the opponent will prevent the Pokémon it is used on taking damage from Curse on that turn.

Flinch

The flinch status is a one-turn status that prevents a Pokémon from attacking. A Pokémon can only flinch if the opponent attacks first. Pokémon with the Inner Focus ability are also immune to this. Most moves that cause flinching are physical moves.

It is known as cringing in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.

Foresight/Odor Sleuth/Miracle Eye

The opponent's evasion modification will not affect the accuracy of a Pokémon that uses Foresight, Odor Sleuth, or Miracle Eye. In addition, a Normal- or Template:Type2 move used by a Pokémon that has used Foresight or Odor Sleuth will affect Template:Type2 Pokémon, and Template:Type2 moves used by a Pokémon that has used Miracle Eye will affect Template:Type2 Pokémon.

Infatuation

A Pokémon that is infatuated with its foe cannot attack it 50% of the time. A Pokémon can only successfully use Attract on opponents of the opposite gender; or in the case of Mew, on another genderless Pokémon. Pokémon with the Oblivious ability are immune to infatuation. The infatuated status cannot be passed with Baton Pass. Infatuation will end as soon as the Pokémon that used it or the Pokémon that it is used on leaves the battle.

Leech Seed

Each turn, a Pokémon hit by Leech Seed loses 1/8 (1/16 in Generation I) of its maximum hit points. The opponent is healed by the same amount. Template:Type2 Pokémon are immune to Leech Seed. If a Pokémon affected by Leech Seed uses Baton Pass, Leech Seed is transferred to its replacement, even if it is a Grass-type. Even if the affected Pokémon switches again within the battle, if sent out again, the effects still remain (unless Baton Passed again). If the user of Leech Seed switches out, the health granted by the effect is applied to the new replacement. There is no requirement for the Pokémon to use the move again, or even to know it.

Mind Reader/Lock-On

When a Pokémon uses Mind Reader or Lock-On, the next damage-dealing move will hit the opponent without fail, even if the opponent uses a move that offers a turn of invulnerability, such as Fly. This effect can be Baton Passed.

Nightmare

Nightmare only affects a sleeping Pokémon. The sleeping Pokémon loses ¼ of its maximum hit points every turn. If the sleeping Pokémon awakens, then the nightmare will no longer be in effect. If Baton Pass switches out a Pokémon that is not asleep, then the nightmare will no longer be in effect.

Perish Song

After three turns, all Pokémon who heard the Perish Song will faint, excluding Pokémon with the Soundproof ability. Any Pokémon who heard it can avoid the effect of fainting if it is switched out before the 3-turn count finishes. Baton Pass transfers the Perish Song countdown.

Taunt

Taunt prevents the Pokémon from using any non-damaging moves. This effect will wear off after two to four turns, or if one switches out. Pokémon using Substitute can still be afflicted with this status ailment.

Torment

Torment renders the Pokémon incapable of using the same move twice in a row. If the Pokémon is holding a Choice item, it is forced to use Struggle every second turn.

Volatile battle status

Defense Curl

Using Defense Curl causes the power of Rollout and Ice Ball to double for the Pokémon. This effect is not transferred by Baton Pass.

Focus Energy

When a Pokémon uses Focus Energy, its critical hit rate increases.

Mean Look/Spider Web/Block

A Pokémon trapped by Mean Look, Spider Web, or Block cannot switch until the Pokémon that used the move is defeated or switches. The trapped Pokémon can also escape if it is holding the Shed Shell. If a trapped Pokémon uses Baton Pass, the Pokémon brought out will be trapped instead.

Minimize

A Pokémon having used Minimize will take double damage if hit by the move Stomp (though this behavior is not present in Generation I).

Mist

Mist prevents a Pokémon's stats from being lowered by the opponent's attacks. The user may still lower its own stats with moves like Superpower. The move Defog cancels out Mist.

Substitute

The Pokémon that uses Substitute loses ¼ of its total HP (rounded down) to make a Substitute which will absorb hits until it "breaks" (damage the Substitute has taken is greater than the HP used to make it). From Generation II onward, Substitutes block all status ailments and will immediately break if a one-hit knockout attack connects with them. In Generation I, however, a substitute only blocks primary status ailments; attacks like Thunder Wave and Spore completely circumvent the Substitute. Substitutes can be transferred by Baton Pass.

Reflect and Light Screen

Reflect and Light Screen last for five turns (eight with Light Clay) and heighten the user's entire team's Defense or Special Defense, respectively. Either of them can be broken by Brick Break or Defog.

Pokérus

Main article: Pokérus

Pokérus is a special status ailment in which the Pokémon is infected with a disease. Unlike other non-volatile status ailments, if one was to obtain one of the non-volatile ailments mentioned above the status would be overwritten. After a few days, Pokérus is cured and the host Pokémon's EVs are doubled. It is hard to find a wild Pokémon infected with it and many trainers will have played the game never obtaining such an ailment..